Wanted: Hawk, Cyclone fans for RVTV in Creston

The jersey of the late Dalton Hribal is laid out on the team bench prior to Creston/O-M football games.

By LARRY PETERSON - CNA sports writer • lpeterson@crestonnews.com

OK, Cyclone and Hawkeye fans, it’s almost time to come out and show your support for your team in front of the state’s largest television audience.

WHO-TV, channel 13, is wrapping up its tradition of the RVTV road show during the week leading into the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game, and it kicks off Monday night in Creston.

The local committee has worked hard to do it up right, for what could be Creston’s first, and last, opportunity to host the event. Just like Greenfield a year ago, Creston will get some serious air time during the news telecasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

On their radio show, Keith Murphy and Andy Fales have already played audio of a train horn several times, noting that the railroad is one of the things Creston is known for, particularly since they are parking the big RV not far from the tracks by the restored Creston Depot.

One of the neat things about the event will be the “Victory Trucks” as a way to boost non-perishable food items for the Creston Food Pantry. You can put items in either the Hawkeye or Cyclone truck, and they will be weighed to see which garnered the most support.

There will be a best dressed/most supportive Cyclone and Hawk supporter, shown on the early telecasts. Cheer squads will be going during the 10 p.m. broadcast.

Greenfield got a good turnout from both fan bases, and I’m hoping for the same. Murphy said a season doesn’t go by that he doesn’t get accused of “favoring” either the Hawkeyes and Cyclones, which probably means they’re playing it pretty well right down the middle.

I understand Ames is in their central Iowa television market, while Iowa City is in the Cedar Rapids/Davenport market. So, I get it that more of their sportscasts lead off with Cyclone news. As an Iowa graduate, I’m OK with that, because that’s just good business.

But, they do make an effort to get to the weekly press conferences and the home games, which is more expensive because of distance, so Hawk fans appreciate that.

I told Murphy there have been some local connections to both schools’ athletic departments, although we just lost a couple in Ames when Ryan McKim took a coaching job at Oklahoma, and defensive end Collin Bevins transferred to Northwest Missouri State, where he began his career last night in Maryville.

Iowa has had baseball players Kurt Belger and Brian Bucklin, football quarterback Kyle McCann and now, wrestler Jake Marlin. (I saw Marlin on a scooter near Kinnick Stadium last Saturday and nearly asked him for a ride. It was darn near 100 degrees out there!)

McCann’s father, Steve, operates Family Shoe Store nearly directly across from where the station will be set up Monday, so I’m guessing there’s a chance he finds himself as part of the coverage.

This is a great chance for Creston to put its best foot forward and show it has community pride, as well as a lot of Cyclone and Hawkeye fans. So, let’s take the right approach by keeping this in mind: It’s all in fun.

Maybe it’s because I’m in this business, but I’ve always tried to be kind of lighthearted about the rivalry, rather than dead serious.

The late Jim Zabel would tease Iowa State fans mercilessly. But he got along with them fine, because he could take it, as well.

If Iowa loses, I don’t like it much, but if a Cyclone wants to rib me a little, that’s fine. Because I may return the favor the next year with some playful needling. At work we have plenty of people on both sides, and certainly we fire some barbs at each other on a regular basis.

But it’s done with a smile, like when the late Curt Olson would yell at you, and then break out into a belly-laugh. There’s a way to poke fun without being mean-spirited.

Frankly, alcohol can spoil the spirit and turn things unnecessarily dark. Let’s celebrate the event in moderation, and not do anything stupid. More than likely, there will be impressionable kids around, and besides not wanting to put Creston in a bad light, we need to demonstrate a family-friendly spirit in the rivalry.

Emphasis on the friendly.

•••

The Creston/O-M football team has come up with a neat way to honor a teammate who was killed in an auto accident last winter.

Teammates drape the jersey of No. 71 over the team bench facing the crowd, as a tribute to Dalton Hribal, a sophomore on last year’s squad.

•••

Part of our extended News Advertiser family is beginning a new chapter this week.

Adam Wilson, Stuart native and Simpson College graduate who served as sports editor here a decade ago, has a new job in the Des Moines Register’s system.

As of Tuesday, he was no longer editor of the Altoona Herald-Mitchellville Index. He is now online editor for the Des Moines Register, focusing on building the newspaper’s digital profile and presence on the web, as well as mobile and tablet platforms.

The old guy who worked next to Adam always did think he was pretty good with “gadgets.”